In his first-ever interview, the sole Australian survivor of the Waco siege has revealed to 60 Minutes what really took place during the 51-day stand-off, and why he believes crazed cult leader David Koresh will one day return to Earth as the son of God.

Sean Spicer show ends in protest over hire

White House press secretary Sean Spicer has abruptly resigned over President Donald Trump's decision to tap a camera-ready financier to lead the beleaguered White House communications team.

The departing spokesman said on Friday the president "could benefit from a clean slate" as he sought to steady operations amid the Russia investigations and before a healthcare showdown.

Spicer, whose daily briefings once dominated cable television and delighted late-night comics, quit in protest over the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci as the new White House communications director.

Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci has been hired as the White House communications director. (AAP)

Spicer denounced what he considered Scaramucci's lack of qualifications, according to people familiar with the situation.

As his first act on the job, Scaramucci, an early Trump supporter and former Goldman Sachs banker, announced Spicer's deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, would take Spicer's job.

The shake-up among the president's spokespeople comes as Trump is suffering from dismal approval ratings and struggling to advance his legislative proposals.

As his effort to replace Barack Obama's healthcare law crumbled this week, the president continued to vent frustration about the coverage of investigations into allegations of his election campaign's connections to Russia.